John Quinton Limited is a collection of five buildings, including a residence, shop, fish store, salt store and post office. Located in Red Cliffe, NL, the construction of this complex might have begun as early as 1821. The designation is confined to the footprint of the buildings.
Formal Recognition Type
Registered Heritage Structure
Heritage Value
John Quinton Limited was designated a Registered Heritage Structure by the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1994 because of its historic, aesthetic and cultural value.
The buildings have historic value because of their association with the Quinton family and their role as merchants in the community. John Quinton Limited serves as a representative example of the roots of outport autonomy, when locals began to set up their own merchant premises independent of larger outside firms. In the late 1800s, these small outport mercantile and provisioning operations concentrating on the salt fish trade began to supply smaller communities, gradually replacing outside agents representing merchants from larger commercial centres. While still participating in the truck system, outport residents now had more choice in terms of the firm they dealt with.
John Quinton Residence has aesthetic value as is a good example of outport merchant-class housing in the late 1800s. The scale and massing of the house set it apart from others in the community and speak to its ownership by an affluent family. This three-storey house is an excellent outport example of Second Empire style housing, with its concave-curved mansard roof, dormers, decorative eaves and symmetrical facade. The “big Quinton house” was built in 1892 to replace a smaller saltbox house just to the north (now part of the Shop). The house is believed to have been built by carpenter Caleb Marshall (c1834-1900) of nearby Brooklyn, Bonavista Bay.
The John Quinton Limited Shop has aesthetic value because it is a good example of the reuse of a building for purposes other than which it was constructed. Originally a steep gable roofed residence, a biscuit box like addition was added to the front facade when the structure was used as a shop. This recycling of buildings was a common trait in outport communities. Quinton family history purports that the original house – a first-generation saltbox – was built by Charles Quinton following his marriage to Elizabeth Warren circa 1821-22. This was Charles’s second marriage however and it is possible it was built somewhat earlier following his first marriage. Around 1892, after construction of the adjacent Residence, a two-storey, shed-roofed addition was added to create a retail shop.
The John Quinton Fish Store and Salt Store have aesthetic value as they are good examples of intact outport merchant fishing structures in the region. Such buildings were designed for practical use and had to endure the rigours of a harsh environment. The use of rough materials, simple design elements and utilitarian construction techniques exemplify these fishery buildings. The Fish Store is the premises’ largest and most complex structure. It was likely built around the turn of the 20th century as a simple rectangular store roughly half its current size. The Salt Store was believed by Gerald Quinton to be the oldest building on the property.
The John Quinton Post Office has aesthetic value as it is a good example of a nineteenth century outport post office. This small, unadorned building was constructed to serve a specific function within the community, its practical use taking precedence over the implementation of elaborate design elements. This structure is believed to have served as a post office in the 19th century and as a temporary shop during the expansion of the old house.
John Quinton Limited has cultural value as a physical reminder of a specific time and place, particularly of a time when life was intrinsically linked to the sea. The fish and salt stores served a vital purpose in a subsistence economy based on the procurement, curing and storage of fish. Within the walls of the shop, fishermen would collect goods earned from their summer work. Both the shop and the post office would often be the scene of social gatherings where local news was shared and recent events were discussed.
Source: Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador property file “Red Cliffe – John Quinton Limited – FPT 371″
Character Defining Elements
All elements that define the residence’s Second Empire design including:
-number of storeys;
-mansard roof;
-chimney style and placement;
-return on eaves;
-bargeboard on eaves;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-wooden window size, style, trim and placement;
-dormer placement and style;
-dormer window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-entablature with brackets above front door;
-size and style of veranda on front façade, and;
-dimension, location and orientation of building.
All elements that define the shop’s simple vernacular design including:
-number of storeys;
-combination flat and steep gable roof;
-chimney style and placement;
-return on rear eave;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-wooden window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-shelf running above door and windows on first storey;
-size and style of steps on front facade;
-wood post foundation;
-original scale and massing of additions, and;
-dimension, location and orientation of building.
All elements that define the fish store’s simple vernacular design including:
-number of storeys;
-low pitch roof;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-wooden window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-wooden loading doors facing the harbour;
-red ochre exterior colour, white paint on rear;
-overhang on rear facade;
-wooden post building supports;
-original form, scale and massing of fish store, and;
-dimension, location and orientation of fish store.
All elements that define the salt store’s simple vernacular design including:
-number of storeys;
-steep gable roof;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-wooden window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of exterior wooden doors;
-red ochre exterior colour;
-wooden post building supports;
-original form, scale and massing of salt store, and;
-dimension, location and orientation of salt store.
All elements that define the post office’s simple vernacular design and original function, including:
-number of storeys;
-steep gable roof;
-return on eaves;
-narrow wooden clapboard;
-wooden corner boards;
-wooden window size, style, trim and placement;
-size, style, trim and placement of wooden exterior doors;
-wood post foundation;
-remains of the post office mail slot on the landward gable end, and;
-dimension, location and orientation of building.